First encountered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the new coronavirus disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and reached many other countries as well. COVID-19 is highly transmissible, with no vaccine or treatment currently available, and on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Will the coronavirus lead to an unprecedented global pandemic, as some experts predict? Or are warnings over the dangers of COVID-19 just fearmongering?

Coronavirus will not change the world significantly

Concerns about the worst-case scenarios for COVID-19 are alarmist and overblown.

Most coronavirus cases are mild

The symptoms of COVID-19 are not usually serious and the disease's mortality rate is low.Explore

There will not be a global pandemic

High levels of awareness, active research, and the onset of warm weather will limit the spread of COVID-19.Explore

Coronavirus will cause irreparable harm

The COVID-19 pandemic will wreak havoc on the global population and devastate the economy.

The economic cost of the pandemic will be enormous

Fear, isolation, and death are a recipe for global economic crisis.Explore

Coronavirus panic will divide people

Fear of COVID-19 and bitterness over the outbreak will lead to hatred and stigmatization.Explore

Coronavirus is impossible to contain

The ease of person-to-person infection and difficulty of diagnosis make COVID-19's spread inevitable.Explore

Many people will die from coronavirus

As one country flattens its curve, another is approaching its peak. The total excess deaths caused by coronavirus are impossible to predict, and thus difficult to plan for. Lives will continue to be lost and by the end, no one will emerge untouched by this disease.Explore

Coronavirus will teach the world valuable lessons

COVID-19 will cost lives and resources, but it will also lead to important progress.

Coronavirus will improve scientific collaboration

COVID-19 research efforts are reshaping how scientists communicate with each other.Explore

Coronavirus awareness will promote important health policies

People will become more health-conscious due to COVID-19, increasing support for effective policies.Explore

This page was last edited on Monday, 9 Mar 2020 at 10:57 UTC

Parlia is an encyclopedia of opinion. We are building a definitive collection of all of the opinions in the world.